Improvement in metallic heels



Fra-.41

[FlGsGio WWNESSESO Hun/Mmm` Mmm cm. Austin Mmm AUSTIN'S. MANN, OF ST. LOUIS, -MISSOURL Letters Patent No. 110,768, dated January 3,1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN v METALLIC HEELS.

The Schedule referredyto in these Letters Patent land making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, AUSTIN S. MANN, of St. Louis,-

in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Heels; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specification, in which- Figure lisa front view of' the heel without the projecting flange. d

Figure 2 is a front View of the heel with the pro-- jecting flange. Y y

Figure 3 is a front view of the lower section of the heel, formed without a recessed seat for the pad.

vFigure et is a bottom ,view of the heel, formed with a recessed seat for the pad. A Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the linexfc,

Figure 6 is a top view ofthe heel, one-half with the shoulder', and the other half without.

The object of my invention is to so construct a hollow metallic heel, or what is known as'theshell-heel, that it can be attached to the boot or shoe without using the screw, as is now the universal custom.

To accomplish this, and in this my invention chiefly consists, I firmly imbed inthe nietallieheel, during the process of casting, or otherwise secure thereto, a series 0f pins constructed of any suitable malleable metal, and which, when the heel is to be secured to the boot o1' shoe, are to be driven through the heelportion lof the sole, and clinched or riveted on its inner face. These pins may be'secured on an inner shoulder or ange cast within the recess of the heel, or directly on the wall of the same.

The great advantage of this feature of my'invention is found in the fact that it leaves the hollow or cavity formed within and by the wall of the metal heel entirely unobstructed, allowing the Vleatherlleel to settle therein as it conforms to the contour of the foot. This center and other screws by which they a-re attaghed 'prevent it, their tendency being to constantly force the leather of the heel up at their point of' bearing, thus not only preventing this settling kof' the heel, but, ou the contrary, rendering the boot exceedingly uncomfortable by the button-shaped projections formed by the pressure ofthe screws on the inner face of the sole.

Another great diicnlty with the metallic heels heretofore used, and which is entirely avoided in my invention, is, that these heels could never be rendered waier-tigh t, owin g to their' being attached by the screw, but always admitted more or less dampness or moisture, which was not only most objectionable in itself, but which soon rusted the screw, which -in tum rotted lshell A. A

sired metal, provided, always, that the same is not the leather with which it camel in contact, and thus rendered the heel loose. To overcome this loosening of the heel, you hare to be constantly tightening the screw, which will soon driverits point through the sole and in direct contact with the foot.

My invention also consists in inserting a thin rubber plate or washer between the shoulder or wall of the metallic heel and the leather to which vit is. attached. This not only serves as a packing, forming a tight joint-at the point of unionbetween the heels, hutalso furnishes an elastic bearing, as it were, for the foot.v

My invention also consists-in securing the rubber,

leather, or other material now used to render the heel noiseless, by pins projecting from the lower faceof the y heel, or by a screw passing lthrough the base-plate thereof, the conntersunk recess for the head of the screw being within the hollow of the heel.

To ena-ble others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.V v

A is a metallic heel, which is cast hollow, and externally of the ordinary shell style.

This heel may be cast with a projecting ange, A', as shown in tig. 2, which' gives the upper section of the heel a flaring form, and enables it to receive' and encircle the heel-portion of the sole. But while I deem,

for many reasons the use of this ange preferable, if

desired it may be dispensed with, and the shell formed without it, as clearly shown in g. l.

a is a shoulder or flange, which is cast around the inner wall and near the upper surface of the shell A.

B I3 are a series of malleable pins. These are permanently secured to the shoulder a, or, if preferred,

the shoulder a may be dispensed with, and .thepins B B inserted or imbedded directly in the wall of the These pins may be constructed of any debrittle, but malleable. This is essentiahas the pins B B are to be riveted or bent down for the purpose of clinehing the same on the inner face ofthe sole.

These pins B B may be attached by any suitable i means. The most convenient, however, is to'insert them at proper intervals in the core or form around.-

which the shell of the heel is east, as by this means, during the process of casting, they become firmly inibedded in the heel, forming, as it were, a permanent part thereof.

C is a thin plate of rubber or other elastic material, that is passed over the pins B B, and 1irmly held thereby. This rubber plate may be made sufficiently large to cover the entire inner surface of the l1eel,`orV

a simple ring or washer may be used. The object of this rubber plate or washer is, that it serves as a packing, forming a 'close and tightu joint betwee'n the metallic heel and the portion of the sole to which it is secured; besides, it furnishes an elastic bearing for the tread of the foot.v

Dis a pad of leather, rubber, or other suit-able material, 'such as is ordinarily used on metallic heels to render the same in use comparatively noiseless. Instead of securing these pads as is now the universal practice, by screwing them onto the bottoni plate or lower face of the shell, I secure them by screws, d, which'have their bearing on the inner face y of the bottom plate of the shell, as clearly shown in iigsne and 5. The plate is countersunk at its center to receive the head of the screw, which, in connection with arubber washer,forms an exceedingly tight joint, excluding all dainpness and moisture.

Instead of securing the pad I) by a screw, it may be fastened by pins D' D', lformed on the base of the shell, as are the pins B B on the shoulder a'. The pad when thus attached is driven over the pins, and they are turned down and clinched on the outer face of the same. By thismeans the pad can be readily attached either in the cup-shaped recess formed by a partial or continuons iiange, or on the simple baseplate of the heel formed without a Iiange.

The metallic heel is attached as follows:`

The pad D is first driven onto the sole, the pins B B passing entirely through the leather, when they are turned over, as shown in dotted lines at b, g.1, and then hammered down until their ends, being at right angles to their main Shanks. are imbedded in the upper face of the sole. 4

I am aware that hollow heels have heretofore been manufactured with spurs or pins, but these spurs or pins have invariably been of the saine metal as the heel, which rendered it impossible for the spnrsor pins to be used as are the malleable pins 'in my heel, as cast spurs, owing totheir ,necessary brittle character, would break oit1 the moment an attempt was made to turn them down, as iu my invention. And besides, these spurs have neveibeen designed to fasten the heel. This is always done by ascrew, and the spurs are used simply to prevent any slipping,r or turningr of the heel on the Sole.'

Having thus fully described myinvention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is.

As a new-article of manufacture, the metallic hollow heel A, when provided, at vor near its upper face, with nialleablepins B B, for securing the heel 011 the boot, and with like pins D D at the base, to retain the pad, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NVitnesses:

EDWIN JAMES, l J As. T. K. PLANT..

AUSTIN S. MANN. 

